The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-11-03
NANNY'S LOVE STORY.

NANNY'S LOVE STORY.
Nanny Nixon burst into tears.
Tears with Nanny Nixon meant some-
thing. She was not the type of girl
that cried at everything wilted rose
bud, a pathetic poem, or the tragic
last chapter of a paper-eovered novel.
Life had been too much sober earnest
for her to indulge in any such senti-
mental luxury.
Up to her seventeenth year she had
toiled hard for her daily bread, work
ing in the button-factory all day, and
doing Uncle Joshua's housework of
| nights and mornings.
Uncle Joshua took her very much as
a matter of course. Girls were born to
make themselves useful-that was his
opinion. He saw no particular hard
ship in her rising at three o'clock to
get the Mondays washing out on the
lines before she went to her work; nor
in staying up until eleven o'clock Tues
day night to iron his shirts, and do up
the two table-clothes and the four
napkins. Did he not give her home?
Who would have taken her in when
orphan, if it had not been Sor him?
But to-day, when he found moths in
his best Sunday suit, the hoOdgates of
his wrath were opened, and he scolded
Nanny until she took refuge in tears.
ssId like toe know" said Uncle
Joshua, IF this is what you call good
housekeepin'? I'd like to know what
keep you here and lodge you for
- af- bo ~ >
to rack and ruin? Moths in my best
come next Octoberi In my clothes, as
told you to beat and hang out in the
sun once week, till the warm weather
was over"
''Tm very sorry, uncle" said Nanny,
mowers scythe. q did forget it last
week. Oh, uncle, I'm so sorry! Please
let me take them now; I'll mend the
place so it will never be seen, aud
air the clothes thoroughly will in
deed!'
But Uncle Joshua shook his head.
81 can't trust you. said he sepul-
chrally. 81 hain'tno more confidence in
you, Nanny. guess I'll write to my
cousin, Widow Leaman. to come down
here and keep house for me. Her sons
going to get married, and she Ii be Glad
of good home"
Poor little Nanny recoiled at this
dreadful hint. Cherries as the old
WOodburn farmhouse was, it had still
been home to her.
She was crying very pitifully as she
greens by the we'll, when Mark Dan
nth ln. f,,. ,Ne
He was the young engineer ut
the factory. and the Woodburn
we'll was the coldest and clearest for
half n mile round.
'Hallor' said Mark. '.What's the
matter, Nanny? Have you hurt your
self?"
mo. no." faltered Nanny. half
ashamed of the tears. and quite
ashamed of their occasion. .'But
Uncle Joshua isn't pleased with me. ="
"Been scolding you--eh?' said
Mark, posing his pail on the we'll
curb, and regarding the pretty droop-
ing little creature with compassionate
eyes.
"Y-yes. Uncle joshua"
Mark Danforth sat down the pail.
Hang Uncle Joshuar said he.
"Oh, Mr.. Danforth"
'sWell, mean it" protested Mark.
"Hes no business to make you cry"
He's going to get the Widow Lea
man to come and keep house for him, "
faltered Nanny. "He hasn't any more
confidence in me-"
Mark Danforth took the basket of
plantain-greens out of her hand, and
seated himself beside her.
Nanny" said he, '.Pve got conf
dence in you. If Mrs. Leaman comes to
keep house for him, suppose you come
and keep house for meP I've wanted
to ask you to marry me this long time.
viii YOU, Nanny? You don't know
what good husband I'll be to your
| Nanny looked up with startled face.
She was only seventeen. Her first in
stinct was to run away and hide, her
| second to put her hand into Mark
Danforth's and say:
yes"
In the meantime, however, old Mr.
| Woodburn had brushed and beaten his
Sunday clothes until it was a marvel
| that the seams did not part company,
and started to hang them out of the
| south garret-window, muttering cross
| " to himself as he did SO. And Mrs.
| Bigsbee, Jogging down the road with a
| chaise we'll loaded with butter, eggs.
| and dressed poultry chanced to look
| up.
| Good heavsns!" cried she, dropping
| her whip in horror and amazement.
s'if Joshua Woodburn hain't gone and
hanged himself! And Nanny at the
mill! I'd better go for Squire Noting
right off"
And in half an hour the neighbor-
hood was aroused. Squire Noting
| lift his dinner half-eaten, and went fol-
DR.. Hedges at once.
..If anything's happened" said he,
''the coroner is the person to have Oh
the premises"
Mrs. Bigsbee tied her horse under
the shadow of the nearest elm-tree.
''Tain't in human natur' to go or
sellin' eggs and chickens, when 8
man as you've sat next to in meetin
for thirty-odd years is a hangin' out o.
a winder. dead"
Mrs. Holly sent boy of to tell tn,
Widow Leaman. who was MIR. Wood
burns cousin, once removed, and ha6
expectations" from him.
Much property-heyP" said DR.
Hedges.
"Weli. pretty consid' able, answered
Squire Noting. "He was aPay'
pretty elose-fsted. Never put nothin
of any consequence in the church
plate. Well. we'll! We must all die
And so he's hung himself! Last MAJ
in the world should have thought i
Of"
| The little knot of solicitous neigh
bors advanced. whispering, along th'
sunny stretch of road. A child. pick
, ing black berries under the stone wall
stared at them as they went by; th'
mowers In the meadow swung thei
cleaning scythes to and fro in tn
noon light.
ssIn the midst of life we are il
DEATH sonorously spoke Squir